Health Canada has set a one-year deadline for removing BVO from beverages. What are the associated risks?

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Brominated vegetable oil, a food additive found in citrus-flavoured soft drinks, has now been banned in Canada, though consumers may still see it on ingredient labels for another year.

Health Canada removed BVO from its list of permitted food additives on 30 August after completing a safety assessment.

“The outcome of the assessment does not support BVO continuing to be permitted for use as a food additive,” the agency stated last month.

Since its updated safety analysis “did not find an immediate health concern with the current permitted use of BVO as a food additive,” Health Canada has provided a one-year transition period, concluding on 30 August 2025, “to allow impacted products to be reformulated and relabelled.”

This means that a maximum BVO level of 15 parts per million (ppm) in beverages, equivalent to 15 milligrams per litre, will continue to be permitted.

Health Canada’s decision to ban BVO aligns with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which made a similar move in July.

Its use was already prohibited in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

What is BVO?

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a stabilising agent used in small quantities to help keep fruit flavouring evenly mixed in beverages. According to the FDA, it prevents citrus flavours from separating and floating to the top. Health Canada notes that BVO is commonly found in drinks containing citrus or spruce oils and may be listed as “brominated soybean oil” on ingredient labels. It is primarily used in sodas but can also be present in fruit drinks.

Which Products Contain BVO?

Many major beverage manufacturers, such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, have eliminated BVO from their products. A Coca-Cola spokesperson stated that BVO was phased out several years ago and is now on their restricted additives list. PepsiCo also confirmed that it “does not produce or distribute any products with BVO.” However, BVO is still present in some products; for instance, Sun Drop citrus sodas from Keurig Dr Pepper include BVO, as do Walmart’s Great Value orange sodas, which list “brominated soybean oil” in their ingredients.